Indiana completed the impossible on Monday night, outlasting Miami 27-21 to capture its 16th win of the season and earn a national title that seemed inconceivable even as it became inevitable. Poetically, Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza wrote the deciding chapter in the fairytale with a gritty, meandering scramble into the end zone to give his Hoosiers a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter. The Hurricanes would mount a furious rally but their hopes were dashed when Carson Beck threw an interception to give Indiana a truly shocking championship.
Mendoza's touchdown run, which he punctuated by diving like Superman into the end zone, came on fourth-and-5. Curt Cignetti opted to try to make it a two score game instead of kicking a field goal, a wise decision given the outcome and protagonist carrying the football.
